WELSH children do not have enough opportunities to play, says a report from the United Nations.

The Children and Young People's Assembly for Wales produced a report that highlighted issues considered most important by children in Wales.

The report states ‘children in Wales want to play but feel there is a lack of opportunity, facilities and appropriate spaces available to do this freely.’

To combat this, a new £964,850 North East Wales play project has been launched to help thousands of children across the region play.

The NEW Play Project is a three-year funded scheme which will see play workers visit 15 ‘play deprived’ communities across Flintshire, Wrexham and Denbighshire to work with children aged eight to 12. The scheme, which is funded by the Big Lottery Grant, aims to get more children out doors and highlight the importance of play within communities.

The scheme is due to start early next year, but Flintshire’s five sites have not yet been chosen.

Workers will be responsible for providing opportunities for children to play within their local communities by providing staffed play sessions.

They will run weekly play sessions and playschemes, which will hopefully be continued by the community once the project ends.

Project leaders describe ‘play deprives’ as the notion that not playing may deprive children of experiences that are regarded as developmentally essential and result in those affected being both biologically and socially disabled.